Former Hardy Dam resident presented with memorabilia of hydroelectric plant

SPRING
LAKE, MI — Russell Ronning's eyes lit up as he pored over a collection of historic
photos of the Hardy Dam, the site where he once hunted rabbits and helped his
father oil down generators.

"The
generators looked so big when I was little, but the last time I was there, it
looked so small," Ronning said while reviewing the antique images. "These pictures
are beautiful. Look at all these sheds and houses."

Ronning,
an 85-year-old hospice resident in Spring Lake, received the donated items
Tuesday after Consumers Energy spokesman Roger Morgenstern presented the memorabilia
in the company of his family.

His wife
Edith, son Rick, great-nephew Jason and great-granddaughter Gillian
joined him as he reminisced and perused his new possessions, which included a
selection of photographs and commemorative coins released in 2006.

Jennifer
Eitniear, a Hospice of Michigan social worker who began working with Ronning in 2012, contacted Consumers
Energy in February to see if the electric company could share some items that
would excite Ronning, Morgenstern said.

"When
we got the note from Jennifer, it really struck a chord with all of us," Morgenstern
said. "We really wanted to do something for him."

Morgenstern
said Ronning wanted his youngest and only brother, Earl Jr., to be present during
the unveiling but he couldn't make it due to his medical condition, he said.

"My
gracious. My brother would love these," Ronning said.

Growing up by a dam

The
dam, located on the Muskegon River in Newaygo
County's Big Prairie Township, features Spanish Colonial Revival architecture and consists of a
4,000-acre pond that spans 18 miles long and 1.5 miles across its widest point.

When it debuted, the structure was the largest earthen dam in North America east of the
Mississippi River.

Consumers
Energy, then known as Consumers Power Co., named the structure after George
E. Hardy, a businessman who helped oversee Commonwealth and Southern Corp. from 1910 through the 1920s.

Ronning said his family moved to their Hardy Dam home located about 200
feet from the river in 1931 in the throes of the Great Depression.

His
father, Earl Sr., became
one of the hydroelectric plant's first operators and worked at
the company for decades. When he was hired, Ronning's dad earned about $65 per month,
or about $2 a day, Ronning said.

At the time, many men worked for half
the amount — if they were lucky enough to work at all in an era when unemployment topped 20 percent.

As an
operator, Ronning's father compiled hourly reports that detailed the volume
of electricity produced and helped fix machinery when it malfunctioned.

While living near the dam, Ronning enjoyed swimming, hunting and fishing along the dam ground's
shoreline back when he could score "dozen night crawlers for 10 cents." About
eight other kids lived on the dam during his family's time there, Ronning said.

"It
was a really beautiful place," Ronning said. "It was a good place to live. I can't think of
anything bad to say about it."

When Ronning was 14, his father purchased a farm nearby and the family moved to the open landscape,
which offered a change of pace for the family.

"I
hated working the horses and the fishing stopped," Ronning said. "But we did
eat good," he added, recalling the animals that grazed the farm and provided
hearty meals for his household.

Ronning
enlisted in the U.S. Army at 17 and in 1949, after World War II, he graduated from barber school. He cut hair for 61 years and owned three shops in Muskegon,
including an operation inside his home.

Sharing his love

After
starting a family, Ronning began sharing his love for the dam with his
children, Rick, Paul and Alfred. The latter, who the Ronnings called "Al," died
in a car accident in 2006, said Rick Ronning, 63.

Like
his father, he remembers sledding down the infinite slopes during the winter
and somersaulting down the area's massive hills.

"We
did just stupid kid stuff," the younger Ronning said, smiling. "We just had a good ol' time."

A National Guard veteran, he recalled a time in 1986 when the service had to be activated after high water amassed behind the dam and his supervisor had asked if anyone was familiar with the massive structure.

Eitniear
said she discovered Ronning's fondness for the National Register of Historic Places
locale quickly after she met him. By her second or third
visit, Eitniear said Ronning
revealed his love for talking, especially about his childhood.

"Once
the photo books opened, the stories just started to flow. He just opened up his
world to me," Eitniear said. "He talks about the dam regularly. Depending on the
day, I'll hear another tidbit."

Eitniear
said when her grandfather died, she realized the power of storytelling and
preserving narratives so she wanted to preserve Ronning's experience living
on the dam grounds.

"I think Mr. Ronning is
just tickled to share his story. He has so many stories," Eitniear said. "I was hoping he would
get a kick out of it."